


Rooftop Rant

by kopieko



Category: Produce 101 (TV), X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Midnight Stories (A Seungyul Fic and Fanart Fest), Repressed Memories, Seungyul - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:40:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22048030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopieko/pseuds/kopieko
Summary: [Prompt #215] Hangyul's mother is a doctor so every time he finishes a class at his nearby university, he visits his mother at the hospital she works at. Hangyul practically knows everyone there; the long-term patients, the nurses, the doctors; basically everyone he can say hi to. Until one day, he strikes a friendship with a new patient. His name is Seungyoun.
Relationships: Cho Seungyeon | Seungyoun/Lee Hangyul
Comments: 8
Kudos: 46
Collections: Midnight Stories 2019 Fanfic Collection





	Rooftop Rant

**Author's Note:**

> MIDNIGHT STORIES 2019 SEUNGYUL FANART & FICFEST 
> 
> Prompt - 215: Hangyul's mother is a doctor so every time he finishes a class at his nearby university, he visits his mother at the hospital she works at. Hangyul practically knows everyone there; the long-term patients, the nurses, the doctors; basically everyone he can say hi to. Until one day, he strikes a friendship with a new patient. His name is Seungyoun.

**Rooftop Rant;**

_“Please, Seungyoun.” Hangyul holds out his hand to a figure standing in front of him. The night is particularly chilly and every breath he takes feels like inhaling needles down his lungs._

_"It’s chilly down there,” he says, barely above a whisper. “Please don't jump.”_

  
  
  
  


**They met for the first time,**

  
  
  
  


The day seems to be quite chilly today. The clouds are gathering ominously above the city like a large grey umbrella. It is probably going to rain soon although the weather forecast suggested otherwise this morning. 

Hangyul sighs beneath his breath. He did not bring his umbrella, not that he ever did bring an umbrella before this anyway. It is at times like this that one starts to think, ‘from now on I’m going to bring an umbrella everyday,’ and he thinks exactly that. _I should start bringing an umbrella._

Today, just like any other day, he’s on his way to visit his mother at the hospital. It’s been a year since his mother was appointed as the hospital director. His mother deserves it, he thought to himself. He’s never seen someone more passionate, more determined and more kind as his mother.

The day looks like the color grey, but the grass and the trees that cover the hospital garden looks greener than ever. He waves to the gardener and smiles to him from afar. The gardener waves back and returned his smile with a gentle one. Uncle Dongchan makes the best sunflowers during the summer.

“How are the water lilies doing, uncle?" He shouts from where he was standing. Uncle Dongchan gives him a thumbs up indicating that the flowers are indeed doing better. Hangyul feels soft at the fact that Uncle Dongchan takes care of his flowers like he would take care of a human being, with kindness and compassion.

As he walks into the office building to the hallway, he has already said hi to almost everyone; the guards, the office staff as well as the doctors there. He knows everyone by name, the department they work at and their daughters and sons. That’s how Hangyul was raised by his mother, ‘A mere ‘hi’ from a stranger can change someone’s day’, his mother would often say. And she’s right. She’s always right. 

Today, Hangyul brought her tuna sandwiches and iced green tea. He had prepared them in the morning before he went to his campus. His mother has the tendency to skip meals so he’s there to make her NOT skip her meals. 

Hangyul knocks on the door of her office. It’s half past one and he’s almost one thousand percent sure that his mother is still in the office instead of going out for lunch.

“Come in,” he hears his mother shout. _See? I’m one thousand percent accurate._

“Hi, mom,” He enters and sits on one of the couches. 

“You know they dont just allow anyone to enter the office right?” She says to him, her eyes fixed on the computer monitor as her fingers are typing away on her squeaky keyboard.

“They let me in,” Hangyul says nonchalantly while he unpacks his lunchables. Hangyul’s mother peeks from the side of the computer monitor. “They’re going to think I’m abusing my power by letting you enter unauthorised. She stares back at the monitor and continues to type.

“I made tuna sandwich today,” He ignores her, again, nonchalantly, this time with a cheeky mischievous smirk on his face. Hangyul’s mother sighs and smiles.

“You don’t listen, do you?”

“Nope!”

“Okay let’s see how good your sandwich is,”

\----

“Make sure you drink enough water okay,” Hangyul says while he hugs his mother before he leaves. 

“I feel like you’re the mom here instead of me,” She gives him a little pat on his back, just noticing how broad his shoulders have become and how tall he is now in comparison to herself. She feels a tad bittersweet knowing that her son has been growing up well yet she has probably missed out on 70% of his life. 

“You’ve grown well didn’t you?”

“Thanks to your iron fist I’ve made it past highschool,” he jokes, making his mother chuckle. 

“Okay. Don’t skip your meals. I’ll be back before nine.” A sad smile forms upon his mother’s face. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine, mom.” Hangyul reassures. 

\----

And, it is raining outside. 

Heavily.

It’s pouring cats and dogs. No, no. It’s pouring cows and buffalos.

Hangyul, who’s just standing in the lobby of the hospital building, is rethinking about his life decisions. _My gut told me to bring an umbrella so why didn’t I listen to my gut? Listen to your gut Lee Hangyul, always listen to it._ He chants to himself the same thing every single time his life decisions failed him but he never really did what his gut told him to do so this chant will probably be another useless promise he made to himself.

He’s going to miss his class today whether he likes it or not. He retreats back into the building to sit somewhere as he waits for the rain to stop. Fortunately, he brought his laptop with him since his class today requires him to do so, so he might as well finish his other assignments.

His analog watch shows 3 p.m. He walks into the hallway to search for a peaceful spot to sit. Everyone around him is either walking too or is sitting down, waiting for their number to be called. 

A lady who has three children with her is frantically trying to hush her baby quiet. _The baby is probably the sick one and she’s got no nanny to take care of her children,_ his mind wonders as he walks past them. A man is staring into space as he’s holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hands. _He’s probably thinking of all the worst case scenarios while he waits for the results of his blood test,_ again, his mind creates an intrusive assumption. He’s way too attentive for a person who studies botany. He pays close attention to people as he is with plants. 

And as he walks further down the hallway he sees this person. He doesn’t know why but this person pulls his attention towards him like the opposite sides of a magnet. This person has this typical black hair, yet there he is, inevitably catches his attention. And this person with this typical black hair seems to be lost and wondering. Hangyul’s feet seem like they’re moving on their own, drawing him closer to this person he saw just legitimately 10 seconds ago for reasons unknown. 

“Hey,” Hangyul says in a somewhat questioning, somewhat greeting kind of way. This person seems to not notice his presence and Hangyul feels embarrassed now because he cannot make himself just walk away after he got ignored like that. So, gently, he taps on this typically black-haired person and asks, “Hey there,”

The stranger looks partially stunned as he looks immediately into Hangyul’s eyes. 

Hangyul, however, is completely stunned. He doesn't know why he was stunned but he is. 

“You seem to be lost.” he continues. 

The stranger looks around as he points to himself. “Are you talking to me?” He retorts, puzzled and still looking stunned. 

“Yes. I noticed you were looking around so I thought maybe you were lost?” He explained. “Are you not? Please tell me you are so I won’t feel too embarrassed.” 

This person stares at him for a while and suddenly bursts into a small little laugh. Hangyul is perplexed because; 1: Why is he laughing? and 2: Why is he laughing so _adorably_?

“Sorry,” this person says in between his chuckle. “I really thought, ah, nevermind.” He says with a smile. “Yes I am lost actually. I stepped outside of my room for some fresh air but I wondered too far and now I can’t find my room.” This person explained with the most honest smile Hangyul had ever seen. 

“Where is your room? I’m kinda an expert on this hospital’s layout.” He offered.

“Room 814.”

“Room 800 and above are in the west wing. We’re in the east wing.” 

“And west is……?” This person points to the direction of west in uncertainty. He has this puzzled look on his face that's absolutely genuine and clueless, which looks really adorable, which also makes Hangyul feel a slight tingle in his stomach. For a while, he feels weirdly uncomfortable. For some unknown reason, he feels like his heart is filled with blue butterflies ready to burst into the sky. 

“Come follow me.” Hangyul manages to say in spite of his awe. He leads the way and this black haired person tails behind him. 

“Are you a patient here?” This person behind him asks. 

“Nah. My mom works here so I know the place very well.” He says while looking back. This person has his arms behind his back as he walks. He quickens his pace so that Hangyul doesn't have to turn around to answer his question.

“She’s a doctor?” This person asks.

“No she’s not. She’s the hospital director.” Hangyul can't lie that he says that with all his pride because he is undeniably very proud of his mother. “How about you?” Hangyul in return asks this person, trying to keep the conversation going as they both walk side by side along the quiet hallway approaching the west wing. 

“I’m getting treated for stress.” This person says. 

Hangyul looks at him for a second. “Stress? Is that a legit illness?”

“Well, not exactly stress but long story short I fainted and when I woke up I'm already here.” It’s almost weirdly calm, the way he says it. 

“Oh there’s my room,” the person points to a door at the end of the hallway. “Thank you so much for spending some time with me.” This person doesn't say anything further. He merely hastily goes back into the room before Hangyul could even say goodbye properly. He doesn't even know his name, never gets the chance to ask.

He looks up at the signboard showing the department he is in. 

Psychiatry Unit. 

\----

Hangyul lies in bed that night with his mind thinking of only one thing; that black-haired person. He doesn't know why but he is so intrigued by him. There's something about his earnest smile, his little laugh, his big brown slanted pair of eyes, he doesn't know why but he couldn't shake the feeling that he has met this person before. But no matter how many times he tries to recall his face, nothing registers at the back of his mind. 

He's sure he has seen those eyes before but where? When?

As the night grows colder and the air becomes misty by the rain, he finds himself unable to resist the temptation of tire. Slowly his eyes close, his body relaxes and he dreams of a silhouette of a young man standing in the middle of a bridge. 

Just a silhouette. 

Just standing. 

  
  
  
  


**They met for the second time,**

  
  
  
  


It is cloudy today. Hangyul just had lunch with his mother just like any other day when he’s free. This time he made vegetable curry with tempura. He has always been good at cooking because he has always been kind of alone since he was a teenager. He doesn't really mind that his mother is rarely able to cook for him due to her schedules. He knows he’s always alone but he never really feels lonely. His mother calls him all the time while she is at work, even until now. When someone is present for you, be it in person or in thought, you will feel their presence. 

Sun rays pierced the window illuminating the hospital corridor. He remembers his encounter with the stranger, the one who seems to be captivating his entire focus. He remembers his being lost was because he went out for fresh air and he wonders where is this place where the person enjoys said fresh air. By the hospital window? In the garden where Uncle Dongchan plants his flowers?

By the rooftop? 

_Rooftop sounds nice._ He whispers to himself. _Rooftop it is then._

Hangyul walks further down the corridor and steps back into the hospital building. He steps into an elevator and presses “10”, the highest floor of the building. From the tenth floor, he has to use the stairs to get to the rooftop. He sometimes spends his time there, although very rarely. He never has any reason to go up there but on a fine day like today, he decides to give himself some sunray therapy.

The hospital’s rooftop is a serene place. The once unused flat space was renovated into a simple garden recently and it looks very green with nature now, albeit artificial nature, still nature nonetheless. The concrete-rendered floor has been covered with artificial grass and stone paveways. The paveways are lined with stunning pergolas, artificial vineyard with hanging artificial grapes hugging their wooden bars. 

The benches are all empty except for one. Sitting on that bench is that person again. He’s wearing a pyjama underneath his large hoodie and seems to be staring at nothing in the distance. The wind is subtly blowing and he can see the strands of this stranger’s hair moving with the soft breeze. It is a delightful view and he still doesn't know why he's feeling this way. 

_What are the odds,_ Hangyul thinks to himself.

He walks to him and decides to greet him.

"Hello there," Hangyul says with the warmest smile he can muster, this time there's a slight shyness to his voice. The stranger, who looked like he was in a very deep state of thought, notices Hangyul. For a second he looks like he was taken by surprise. After a while his expression softens.

"Hey, we meet again it seems." There it is. That smile again. The one that's making Hangyul want to burst into a thousand little blue butterflies. 

"Mind if I sit here?"

"Yes, sure."

"Did you get lost again?" Hangyul asks.

"Haha very funny," This person chuckles. "I came here for -"

"Fresh air?" Hangyul interrupts.

This person looks partially amazed. 

"Yes, fresh air."

Hangyul decides at that moment, he has to know his name. He knows it's none of his business and he's probably here only for a short while until his treatment is finished but Hangyul wants to know more about this person.

"I'm Hangyul. Lee Hangyul," Hangyul suddenly reaches out for a handshake. This person again looks like he was taken by surprise. He stares at Hangyul, probably not knowing how to react to that sudden self introduction.

"Tell me you're going to at least return my handshake because I'm going to be embarrassed if you didn't." Hangyul says.

This person suddenly laughs and boy that laugh catches Hangyul off guard. 

"I'm Seungyoun. Cho Seungyoun." He says after he's done laughing and immediately returns Hangyul's handshake.

"Now we're not strangers anymore." Seungyoun says

"I guess we're not." Hangyul retorts.

Hangyul will never forget how soft that palm was to his touch and how much of a contrast his warm hand was in comparison to Cho Seungyoun’s cold hand.

And from that point on, their rooftop rant begins. 

  
  
  
  


**They met almost everyday,**

  
  
  
  


_‘I can't come today. I have a session with my doctor. See you tomorrow - Seungyoun’_

Hangyul picks up the sticky note that was left by Seungyoun on their usual rooftop bench. He smiles at the little ☺ emoji Seungyoun drew at the corner of the note. It has been a week since they started meeting each other on this rooftop. He couldn't really explain it but he feels like he has known Seungyoun forever. They way they are so comfortable with each other’s presence, they way they’d talk non-stop about absolutely everything; from how disgusting hospital food is to the top 10 species of rare plants Hangyul wanted to touch with his bare hands before he dies. No one has ever shown so much attention to his speech about rare species of plants. No one. This is the first.

He turns to walk back into the building when suddenly Seungyoun appeared from the staircase, seeming to be out of breath. 

“Hah… I made it,” He says in between his breathing. “Sorry for making you wait.”

“No no, oh my god did you run up here?” Hangyul didn't even get the chance to be startled.

“Yes, I did,” he pants, “I was worried that the note will be blown away so I came back to place a bottle on it,” he shows Hangyul a water bottle he’s holding. 

“This one?” Hangyul shows Seungyoun the note. 

“Did I make myself look desperate?” Seungyoun smiles, scratching the back of his head feeling a tad bit embarrassed. 

“I appreciate what you did. Thank you,” For a while Seungyoun looks really surprised at the reply but the surprise slowly melts into a breath of relief. 

They sit and they talk about their day. Seungyoun tells Hangyul that his lunch today wasn’t as disgusting as he thought it would be but he still didn't finish it. _Again,_ Hangyul says to himself. _He's been skipping all of his meals huh?_ Hangyul frowns at this and for some reason, he can feel his heart clenching. He notices how small Seungyoun’s wrists are. With how skinny he looks right now, he can't be skipping his meals.

“You shouldn't be skipping your meals Seungyoun.” Hangyul suddenly says. Seungyoun says nothing for a while. “Even if you don't have the appetite, you should eat a bit.” 

“Yes, thank you for your concern for this stick man. I will keep it in my mind to eat more than I should.” Seungyoun’s reply seems to be unconvincing for Hangyul. He knows he’s going to skip his meals anyway. 

“Do you not get hungry?” Hangyul asks, genuinely curious. “I mean, I get all shaky if I don't eat and I can never refuse a hamburger if anyone offered me one.” He continues with a genuinely curious expression on his face. 

“Well... I do get hungry. But, gee, I don't know, I'm not sure why I don't feel like eating anything.” Seungyoun shrugs. He has never been asked that question so he doesn't really know how to answer Hangyul.

“You should try the food from the hospital’s cafeteria. You can never say no to Auntie’s meat kimbap oh my god it’s the best kimbap I’ve ever eaten, you know?” 

“Really?”

“Yep, it’s sooooooooooo good ah I’m feeling hungry again,” Hangyul puts on the widest smile as if the kimbap is really really the most amazing food he has ever tried and Seungyoun is amused at how happy he looks at the mere thought of said kimbap.

“Follow me for a sec,” He suddenly takes Seungyoun’s hand and takes Seungyoun towards the stairs and straight to the elevator. “Come on, let's get one roll of kimbap. I hope Auntie still has some.” Seungyoun can feel Hangyul’s warm hand on his cold fingers. His palm is soft and his grip is tight and Hangyul doesn't let go until they are inside the elevator. Seungyoun couldn't remember the last time he was held by someone, by anyone really, and he feels weird. _Surely he has been held like this, right?_ He couldn't recall any. 

Hangyul lets go of Seungyoun's wrist and pushes the 'G' button. 

“I haven't eaten her kimbap in a while though so this is a good time for us to try it together.”

“Together?” Seungyoun asks, as if the word is foreign in his ears and he doesn't understand the language.

“Yeah, together. My treat,” The way Hangyul is smiling so widely shows how oblivious he is to the fact that he literally just handheld Seungyoun so tightly like it was nothing. Seungyoun smiles, _Hangyul is dense, isn't he?_ He thinks to himself. 

The elevator stops and its doors open. Hangyul gestures for Seungyoun to go out first and leads the way to the cafeteria. Along the hallway, Hangyul waves to everyone and everyone, too, seems to say hi to him, as if they knew him. Seungyoun is mesmerized at this. How is he doing _that_?

"Do you just say hi to everyone you see?" Seungyoun says with a very soft smile. It takes Hangyul by surprise, that smile. A very lovely yet lonely kind of smile in his humble opinion.

"Yes. Well, only to people I know," he retorted.

"A social butterfly aren't you?" Seungyoun asks rhetorically. 

"Nahh," Hangyul lets out a little chuckle. He never really thinks of himself as a social butterfly but now that Seungyoun has mentioned it, he probably is one. He couldn’t really remember when he has gotten so friendly with everyone. He was a very quiet person when he was a child. 

"It's just that, when you greet people, you have a way of changing their day you know?" Hangyul looks through window panels as he walks, eyeing a butterfly landing on top of a white lily flower. 

“Sounds like you have a backstory for that,” He hears Seungyoun say.

Hangyul lets out a little laugh. He does have a specific background story to that. He was wondering if it was interesting enough to tell other people. 

"There was this kid," he starts. He is not really sure why he wants to tell Seungyoun this story but with Seungyoun he feels comfortable to do so. 

“He was in the same class as me when we were in middle school. We were actually childhood friends if I remember correctly. I remember we went to the same kindergarten.” Hangyul turns to face the sky. “He had no parents. No siblings. He lived alone and he was always aloof during lunch break. So one day, I said hi to him, asked him what he was eating.” Hangyul continues. 

"After that we became really close. Like reaaaaaaally close. We’d meet even during the weekends. What’s weird though is that I couldn't remember what his face looked like, nor his name. Feels like the memories were not actually memories but it felt so real, so they have to be," His voice barely above a whisper. "He told me that he was grateful God sent me to him, to talk to him. I tried to remember him but I just couldn't," He’s eyebrows scrunch, trying to remember.

"Did you miss him?" Seungyoun asks. The question makes Hangyul wonder, can you actually miss someone you've barely have memory of? Because it feels like you can.

"I do miss him." He answers quietly. "Sometimes when I get flashbacks of him I'll feel this uneasy nostalgia in my stomach. Since I can't do anything about it, I pray that he is safe and he's living well." Hangyul continues, his face looking forlorn, like he's missing the last piece of the puzzle.

"I'm sure your prayers will reach him," Seungyoun says, smiling like he always does.

  
  


\----

  
  


They're on their routine rooftop meeting, having their own rooftop rant. It has been three weeks since their first meeting and ever since then, they've been meeting each other almost every single day. Seungyoun makes Hangyul feel seen and accompanied. The way Seungyoun’s voice calms him, for some unknown reason, makes him feel heard. It’s weird because he’s never met Seungyoun but why does he feel so familiar?

The days go by and their meetings get even longer, their conversations get deeper and they get to know each other better. Hangyul learns that Seungyoun smiles get wider when they talk about music. He also learns that Seungyoun likes rivers and his favourite anime is Doraemon. (It’s technically not an anime but Seungyoun’s talent of mimicking Doraemon’s voice wins their argument.) Hangyul tells Seungyoun so many things about himself, his passion, his college, his dumb groupmates and his hobby of dancing whenever he has free time. Seungyoun listens intently to all of Hangyul’s stories, remembering every single detail and often bringing up those details in the middle of their conversations. 

Hangyul realises how he’s never asked Seungyoun about his condition. He’s been here for weeks and he doesn't look like he’s ill, except for his extreme lack of appetite though, Seungyoun looks relatively healthy. 

“You've never told me why you're here,” Hangyul asks Seungyoun, trying his luck at that question. He’s not sure if Seungyoun would answer but he gives it a shot. 

“Do you really want to know or are you just interested?” Seungyoun retorts, his eyes looking at Hangyul while Hangyul’s eyes are on the skies. 

“Can't it be because I really care about you?” Hangyul again says thing almost too nonchalantly. And to be honest, it takes Seungyoun by surprise by how easy going Hangyul is when it comes to saying things with complete honesty. 

“Well, do you want the unfiltered truth or do you want me to sugarcoat things?” Seungyoun tells Hangyul, eyes focusing on straight into each other’s. 

“The truth,”

“You sure?”

“Yes,”

“You might hate me.”

“Try me.” 

For a while, both of them stay silent, Hangyul looking at Seungyoun and Seungyoun looking at the floor, contemplating. 

“I almost killed myself.”

Suddenly Hangyul feels like the whole world went quiet. _Psychiatry Unit._ He forgot that Seungyoun was here for psychiatry reasons. 

“One night in my dorm, I finished a whole bottle of my anxiety pills and I went unconscious.” Seungyoun smiles while telling his story, as if he’s not totally regretting what he did, more like just reminiscing it. He looks distant as he fidgets with his fingers, his eyes turn glassy and soon pool with unshed tears. All focus Hangyul has is now zeroed in on Seungyoun’s voice. 

“I just wanted to disappear,” he begins to whisper. He keeps himself firm, not wanting his tears to fall. Seungyoun inhales as deeply as he could and his tears disappears into his eyes again. “My dorm mate found me and here I am.” He continues his story, blank and suppressed, like he’s got waves of emotions underneath his composure but he’s keeping it all in so he doesn't crash. 

“What’s been eating you, Seungyoun?” Hangyul doesn't know why he asked but the words just came out as if he has always wanted to ask him that question. Seungyoun looks at Hangyul for a good five second and smiles, as if he already knows the answer but he doesn't know how to say it.

“Guilt,” Seungyoun slowly hugs himself and cries as he curls smaller. “Sometimes it’s so painful I just don't know what to do.” His crying is barely audible yet his shoulders are shaking uncontrollably. Hangyul feels regretful that he asked, he shouldn’t have asked Seungyoun such questions. As if Hangyul’s body is moving on its own, he hugs Seungyoun as tight as he could. He gently pats Seungyoun’s back and whispers “It’s okay,” 

Seungyoun cries more into his shoulders and they stay like that for a while.

  
  
  
  


**They saw glimpses of the past,**

  
  
  
  


Hangyul is hanging. Down below he sees the river, the water flowing underneath him is loud and hard, as if he’s paper and the river is the paper shredder. 

Down below he sees his death but up towards the sky he sees a flicker of light screaming for his life. His fingers are in someone’s grip and his shoulder feels like it's going to rip from supporting his whole body.

“Please don't let go, Hangyul.” The person that's gripping his fingers are pleading for his life. But why? Why is he even hanging like this? 

He never wanted to feel like dying. It has never crossed his mind. 

“Please, Hangyul, you can't leave me too.” The person’s tears hit his cheek, warm and genuine yet unrelentingly heavy. The glare that has been blinding his vision slowly disappears and the face of this person becomes clearer. The sun's rays fade, revealing a pained expression of someone he knows very close to his heart. He has slanted eyes and fair skin but his crying face creates an expression contorted in agony.

“Seungyoun,” Hangyul finds himself saying that name. “I’m sorry,”

Hangyul feels himself slowly releasing his grip and falls. And at that precise moment, he wakes up.

 _A dream_ , he whispers.

It takes him a few minutes to register that he saw Seungyoun in his dream. He doesn't know why he’s having such a dream. He has never met seungyoun, never even talked to him until just a few weeks ago after their first meeting at the hospital corridor. Yet it all seems so familiar, as recognizable as the faces of the people he knew but Seungyoun isn't someone he knows. Seungyoun is someone he just met. Yet why does his heart ache so much? He is so caught up in his own thoughts that he doesn't notice he cheeks are wet with tears. 

\----

Seungyoun does not come today. He doesn't even leave a note. The rooftop is empty and so does their usual bench. Hangyul has a feeling that Seungyoun wouldn't show up today, not after their last rooftop rant. He goes home that day without meeting seungyoun that day. It couldn't be helped if Seungyoun wanted some time alone. He has no right to barge into his room without any prior notice. 

He passes the flower garden decorating the hospital lawn before leaving. The sunflowers are in bloom, their petals peeking out from their green sepals, their little sunflower seeds all brown and abundant. 

He wanted to show them to Seungyoun because the sunflowers seen from the benches of the garden look magnificent. He wanted to show Seungyoun the forsythias surrounding the garden walkway, all yellow and full in its glory. He wanted Seungyoun to be at awe when he sees the delicate fawn lilies blooming beside the sunflowers, with their intricate petals and elegant leaves swaying in the wind. 

_Maybe next time_ , he thinks to himself before walking away. 

\-----

Hangyul’s mother returns home very late that night and immediately limps herself on the couch Hangyul is sitting on. Hangyul has no classes for the next two days so he stays up playing games on their living room television. 

“Tiring day at work?” Hangyul asks as he shuts down his game console. 

“Extremely,” His mother answers. Hangyul gestures to his mother to turn her back on him so he can give her a little shoulder massage, a habit they’ve developed over the years. 

“The hospital decided to transfer one of our patients to another hospital. The thing is, he has transferred hospitals three times already.” Hangyul listens to her attentively. “If I transferred him again, it’s not going to change anything. It’s just going to be an endless cycle.” 

“Why not just transfer him if other hospitals have the means to cure him?” Hangyul asks. 

“He’s from the psychiatric unit.” She answers and Hangyul is immediately intrigued. _Seungyoun is from that unit_. “It’s easy if his pain is physical. We’d know what to do. But his is invisible, that's why it’s useless if we just give up on him like this.” Hangyul keeps seeing Seungyoun in his mind as he listens to his mother’s rant. It’s weird how he just immediately thinks of Seungyoun like this. 

“He’s very good at keeping a secret, I give him that.”

“How long has he been treated?”

“Almost two months? He hasn't said a word to his psychologist.” _That’s almost the amount of time he’s known Seungyoun._ Hangyul thinks to himself. 

“He freaked out when he saw me the first time yesterday.” 

“You went to see him?”

“I wanted to see him. The poor thing, he’s still so young. He kept apologizing when he saw me and he went really anxious. It took the nurses a while to calm him.” Hangyul’s mother seem to want to help this patient but is clearly confused herself. “I can tell he was really scared but I just wanted to help him. I’m not sure how do I do that if the hospital ended up transferring him again.” She sighs and inhales deeply. They both go quiet for a while until Hangyul asks, 

“Mom, is his name Seungyoun?”

“Eh? How did you know?” Hangyul doesn't know how to answer that question. 

“Ah, we met because he was lost. After that we sort of chatted,” Hangyul’s mother seems to be intrigued. 

“He’s talking to you?” Hangyul nods. “He hasn't said a word to his doctors. Not even once.” Hangyul is surprised. By the way they chatted, it doesn't seem like Seungyoun is a quiet person. In fact, Seungyoun does all the talking usually He doesn't come across as quiet. It all seems too hard for Hangyul to process at the moment. _He’s transferring? Why?_

She gestures to Hangyul to stop massaging and turns to look at Hangyul. “At least he’s talking to you. I’ll make sure I'll tell his psychologist about this.” Hangyul’s mother gets up and gestures to her son that she’s going to sleep first. 

Somehow, Hangyul feels really uneasy. He has been having these dreams ever since he met Seungyoun and it’s always the same kind of dream. It doesn't feel like a coincidence anymore. Maybe those aren't really dreams after all. Maybe he really does already know Seungyoun and those are actually memories. It bothers Hangyul that he can't remember anything at all about Seungyoun. How can he just forget? How can he forget a person like Seungyoun? His eyes, his smile, the way he listens, the way he talks? 

Who is Seungyoun?

That night Hangyul dreamt of Seungyoun again. This time he’s not hanging off a bridge anymore. He’s sitting on the bridge beside someone he knows. The sun rays are obstructing the face of the person sitting beside him but as the clouds gather to cover the sun, he can clearly see his face. He’s sitting beside Seungyoun.

\----

_“Please don't let go, Hangyul” Seungyoun is half screaming half crying while he grips Hangyul’s hand, saving him from the few meter drops from the impending death down below. It has just been raining and the river below is loud and smashing with ghastly-rapid water._

_Hangyul finds himself gripping Seungyoun’s hand tightly with his left hand while holding a little kitten in his right arm, all while hanging off a bridge. He was rescuing a kitten that was stuck on the railings of the bridge. The kitten must’ve been scared when Hangyul’s hand got close so it jumped off trying to run. When the kitten jumped, Hangyul’s body instinctively jumped too, trying to catch it. As soon as he caught the kitten though, he immediately realises his situation but it was already too late for him to catch his balance. Fortunately, Seungyoun caught him right on time._

_"What are you doing, you idiot?” Seungyoun screams. “We haven't even done shit for our calculus work and you're my partner if you remembered correctly. If you let go and died I will literally kill myself just to haunt your grave, you idiot!” Seungyoun bears the weight of Hangyul’s body with all his might although he looks like he’s about to explode from using too much energy. “Seungyoun, I'm sorry,” Hangyul screams back, trying to be louder than the sound of water below. Seungyoun didn't say anything and manages to pull Hangyul up onto the bridge. The kitten in his arm jumps to the ground and runs away. Hangyul smiles and whispers, ‘Thank god,’_

_“Thank god?” Seungyoun smacks him on his arm. “You should be thanking me not god, you stupid.” Seungyoun gives him a second smack, this time considerably stronger than the previous one._

_“Ow,” Hangyul rubs his sore arm while Seungyoun is trying to catch his breath leaning on the railings of the bridge. “Thank you, Seungyoun.” Seungyoun is visibly shaking now that Hangyul is safely sitting beside him. He’s sweating a lot and his ears are red. That was a reckless move but he just instinctively moved, he had no control at that moment._

_“Hey, I’m sorry --”_

_“What if you fell?” Seungyoun immediately interrupts him. Seungyoun’s eyes are glassy and furious, he’s seconds away from crying right there right then. His cheeks are red, Hangyul isn't sure if its because he was tired or its because he’s on the verge of tears, but they're definitely blushed._

_“Do you want to die that bad? For a goddamn cat?”_

_“Seungyoun--,”_

_His tears start to fall. “What is it with everyone and leaving me,” he whispers as he cries and Hangyul can feel his heart breaking into a million pieces when he sees Seungyoun like this. “You can’t leave me too, Hangyul,” Seungyoun is already sobbing by this point. Hangyul doesn't know it would affect Seungyoun this much and he doesn't know how to act._

_“Seungyoun, I’m sorry, I--” Seungyoun gets up and leaves immediately. He doesn't even take a glance at Hangyul, he just walks away without looking back._

\----

That morning Hangyul quickly leaves for the hospital after his classes. The dreams he had, the feelings of familiarity he had whenever he's with Seungyoun, those aren't just his imagination. Those were memories, memories he had with Seungyoun, the times they shared. He couldn't recall anything other than his dreams and it's driving him insane. _Why can't I remember?_

His feet runs faster towards their rooftop. He doesn't even bother to wait for the elevator, he uses the stairs instead. Up there, Seungyoun is nowhere to be found. 

"SEUNGYOUN!" He calls out in a moment of desperation. He walks around to see if Seungyoun is sitting on another bench today and it hit him that Seungyoun's room is in the west wing. Room 800. 

He sprints to the west wing, up until the Psychiatry Unit. He doesn't remember the exact number Seungyoun had told him and he feels stupid for never asking Seungyoun properly so he scanned the numbers on each room. Seungyoun's name is nowhere to be found. He's sure he just missed it so he asks the receptionist to make sure he's in the right room.

"Cho Seungyoun? Let me check," she answers his question. "Cho Seungyoun was discharged yesterday," 

"Wait, discharged? What do you mean he was discharged?" There has to be a mistake. Seungyoun was here just a few days ago. He can't be discharged yet. Not like this.

"He asked to be discharged, there was nothing we could do," She explains the leftover details she could offer to Hangyul, not any more, not any less.

"Can I know where he lives then?" Hangyul asks without thinking.

"I'm afraid that's not something I can disclose," She further tells Hangyul.

"Ah yes, sorry and thank you."

Hangyul leaves and he absolutely feels like the weight of the world is horribly heavy. Suddenly he can feel his time ticking slowly and his thoughts talking loudly in his head. Everything about Seungyoun has been so mysterious but now that some of his puzzles are connecting he feels like Seungyoun has become more mysterious than ever. 

He's starting to regret the moments he could've asked for Seungyoun's number, Seungyoun's social media or at least Seungyoun's school. He doesn't know where to search for him, let alone find him. He starts searching on Google for anything related to Cho Seungyoun, anything at all. But he finds nothing. Later that week he starts searching for Seungyoun's name in various school name lists. He still goes to the rooftop, just in case Seungyoun leaves a note. 

All that and still nothing. But whatever it takes, he has to find Seungyoun. Whatever it takes. 

  
  
  
  


**They confront their painful past,**

  
  
  
  


Seungyoun is in his room, lying in bed, doing nothing in particular. It's been two weeks since he asked his parents for him to be released from the hospital, it's not like he was making any progress anyway. He hasn't said a word to anyone since his admission and to stay there for several months? It's a waste of time. It's not like he was going to talk. 

It's not like he _wants_ to talk. 

It's too sinful for him to do so. He hasn't said a word since three years ago. And he's not planning to until he met Hangyul. 

He wasn't supposed to meet Hangyul. He's done all that he can to get away from Hangyul. They weren't supposed to talk to each other, he wasn't supposed to talk to him. But when he saw Hangyul that day, he was filled with so much relief, so much gratitude that he hadn't been able to keep his voice shut. It was the first day since he started talking again. And he hates it. 

The sunlight rays that are peeking from his window are annoying. He gets up to close the curtains when he sees a figure standing in front of his front gate, a very familiar figure. It's Hangyul. 

_No no no he shouldn't be here. What's he doing here?_

He runs downstairs when he hears the doorbell. He has to make sure Hangyul stays away. He hesitates to open the door for a good five minutes but he has to make sure Hangyul doesnt come here again. Seungyoun doesn't open the door fully. He lets only half of his face visible. 

"I found you." Hangyul immediately says. Hearing Hangyul’s voice makes him so happy.

"I've been looking all over for you," Hangyul says with sincerity, just like how he always does, and it hurts Seungyoun to hear his voice like this. 

"I don't think we should see each other," Seungyoun says. He doesn't mean it and the words feel like swords slashing his tongue. But he has to say it. It’s for Hangyul’s own good. "Leave Hangyul." He's about to close the door when Hangyul holds it open with his hand. 

"Seungyoun, listen to me."

"No, Hangyul, you can't be here.” Hangyul opens the door a little by force startling Seungyoun.

“My mom told me you haven't said a word since three years ago.” Seungyoun’s eyes open wide, he’s shocked and disoriented. “But youre talking to me right now right? Is there a reason?” Seungyoun doesn't answer his question, he doesn't move, like time just suddenly stops altogether for him.

“You know me, do you?” No answer. “I don't know why can't I remember anything about you and it’s driving me crazy but we know each other, didn't we?” Seungyoun’s eyes turn glassy but he holds it back. 

“Leave. I don't want us to meet anymore.”

“Seungyoun, please,”

“Why the fuck do you care so much?” Seungyoun suddenly lashes at Hangyul. The soft Seungyoun he has known has never raised his voice, let alone yell or maybe this is the real Seungyoun, the one he’s known back then.

“I’m just a stranger you met a couple of weeks ago,” He continues, eyes pooling with unshed tears. It hurts Seungyoun to say those words to Hangyul knowing they shared so many memories together back then. “You don't have to care about me. You have no obligation to do so.”

“Something tells me you're not, I can feel it,”

“I've never seen you in my life, Hangyul.” Seungyoun says firmly. “And I don't think I want to meet you anymore.” Hangyul goes quiet. 

“You're bothering me so much I can barely breathe.” Seungyoun doesn't know what came over him but the words he didn't mean just come out without his conscience and he couldn't stop it. “I only stayed with you all these weeks because you keep coming and you’re noisy,” _Seungyoun, stop it. Don’t say anything anymore._ “I’m too nice of a person to tell you to fuck off but you’re really getting on my nerves.” _Please stop talking Cho Seungyoun_. 

Hangyul looks visibly hurt by Seungyoun’s words. “I only pretended to care about your stories. I shouldn't have played along.”

“You didn't mean any of those, do you?” Hangyul’s sounds genuinely hurt. “So all the times we spent together, you were faking it?” Hangyul isn't capable of asking the questions he wanted to ask anymore. He couldn't think anymore. All the questions just feel like nothing to him anymore.

“Tell me. Look at me in the eyes. Were you faking it?” 

“Just fucking leave. Why are you being so goddamn difficult?”

“How can I leave? I'm having these strange dreams about hanging from the bridge. I thought those were just dreams but they felt so real. They didn't make any sense until I saw you in the dream, Seungyoun.” Seungyoun appears shocked. He looks shakened and his fingers start to tremble. 

“What are you-- did you --,”

“I feel like a whole part of me is missing. It’s driving me crazy. I keep remembering you but I can't seem to recall anything.” Hangyul’s ears are red with anger, not at Seungyoun but to himself. “Please you have to tell me, Seungyoun,” 

Seungyoun’s expression softens, as if he has surrendered and admitted defeat. He can't hurt Hangyul anymore and making Hangyul remember would only lead him to more pain. He can't let Hangyul get through it again, not this time. Knowing their meeting would make Hangyul remember more than he needs to, he’s decided that they cannot, in any way, continue seeing each other. 

“I think you should leave. Please don't come again.” Hangyul doesn't even get to utter one more word when Seungyoun slams the door shut. Hangyul keeps on knocking on the door as he tells Seungyoun to open the door. It pains Seungyoun greatly to ignore Hangyul like this yet he has no other choice.

He can't hurt Hangyul anymore.

Seungyoun goes upstairs to his room. He shuts the curtains, switches off his lights and shuts the door tightly. He curls in his bed, his hands digging into the sides of his head, ruffling his already unkempt hair. He closes his ears, an attempt to forget the moments he hurt Hangyul. He wants to forget, he doesn’t want that day to rewind. The sound of his voice that day is unbearable to hear. He stays like that with an ache in his heart trying to drift away into sleep, although it’s only 12pm in the afternoon. 

\----

Hangyul walks home looking more sullen than ever. He doesn't understand anything that’s happening to him. His head hurts from thinking too much and the lights that are illuminating the paveways are blinding his vision. The night sky isn't brightly lit by the moon and he can smell the upcoming rain in the air, thick and wet. 

He's walking sluggishly towards the zebra crossing, towards home. Nothing makes sense to him anymore.. He doesn't know if what he's experiencing is the recollection of his memories or mere meaningless deja vu. But everything felt so real, so genuine, so familiar. What happened? What made Seungyoun choose to be mute? What made Seungyoun so riled with guilt that he almost overdosed himself?

Was it something he had done?

What was it that he had done?

Was he being punished?

As he waits in line for the red light to turn red, his head begins to spin. His stomach feels uneasy and his surroundings contort into a massive spiral. But the light has turned green and he has to walk home. He has to lie down but to do that he has to walk home. So he steps forward, the weight of his footsteps feel heavier than ever. 

When he reaches the midpoint of the road, his vision blurs, his knees grow weak and he halts. The car that's going straight towards his direction looks slow behind his blurred eyesight. The car is speeding towards him yet he's too weak to move. The headlights are too bright and the screeching sound of tyres is deafening, yet this all feel too familiar. 

He's been here before.

He was here before.

Back then, the same thing had happened. There was the same blinding headlights, the same screeching tyres and the foul smell of burnt rubber. 

There was his skin on the road, the tar that's touching his skin felt like sandpaper. 

There was screaming, shouting and disorience. 

There was someone beside him, telling him to wake up.

It was Seungyoun.

Before he can evade the car that's coming towards him at the current moment, everything around him goes quiet, as silent as the deep ocean.

\----

_Hangyul runs towards Seungyoun wanting to say sorry for what he did just now. He didn't think Seungyoun would react that way. “Seungyoun, wait slow down.” He says while catching his breath. They stop at a zebra crossing, the crossing light is beaming with red lamp. No one is there but only the two of them._

_“Go away, Hangyul. Leave me alone.” Seungyoun retorts, not even taking a glimpse at Hangyul._

_“Wait, listen to me,” He catches up and grabs Seungyoun’s hand. “Can you please stop walking for second? Goddamnit,” Seungyoun seems to be offended by Hangyul’s tone of talking. For a brief moment, he sees a hint of hurt in Seungyoun’s eyes before he turns angry again._

_“I’m sorry, alright. My body moved by itself. It's not like I can stop myself.” Hangyul tries to explain while Seungyoun stares at him, not saying a single word. “Can you please say something._

_“Did you ever think about other people when you're out there hurting yourself?” Seungyoun stares at him with cold eyes. “Did you ever think about how much it will hurt me if you had gotten yourself hurt?” Hangyul can feel the sharpness of Seungyoun’s tongue._

_“You’re always getting yourself for so many stupid reasons. And it’s always because you're somehow helping a bunch of people for no goddamn reason.” Seungyoun is screaming now and Hangyul starts getting defensive._

_“How is that wrong then? It’s just helping people, why are you so damn mad?”_

_“It’s not the helping that’s getting me angry. It’s you helping people RECKLESSLY, Hangyul,”_

_“I’m the one who’s getting myself hurt. It has nothing to do with you,” Seungyoun looks visibly hurt at that statement._

_"Nothing to do with me?” Seungyoun takes back his arm from Hangyul’s grip. “Am I nothing to you then?_

_"Don’t twist my words, Seungyoun,” Hangyul says firmly. “You and I both know that’s not what I meant.”_

_“Why is it hard to make you see that sacrificing yourself for other people isn't chivalry Hangyul? It’s selfish.”_

_“I’m not being chivalric. I’m just trying to help a cat. So what if I'm a little hurt? It’s probably going to be a bit of a scratch.” They’re both screaming at each other now._

_“Then are you willing to watch me get hurt?” Seungyoun raises his voice. “Since you want to know how it feels to see someone you love get hurt so much then maybe I should let you see me get hurt then? Do you want that?” At this point, the fight becomes uncontrollable._

_“Stop talking nonsense, Seungyoun.”_

_“Forget it. I’m done talking to you.” Seungyoun turns around and walks onto the road forgetting to look at the crossing traffic light._

_The light is red._

_Seungyoun didn't notice it, but Hangyul does._

_Seungyoun didn't notice the car that’s speeding towards him, but Hangyul does._

_And as fast as his body can react, Hangyul pushes Seungyoun out of the way. After that, all he can remember are the wet tarmac underneath him, the spinning sky tinted red and yellow and Seungyoun screaming for his name._

\----

_“Hangyul, Hangyul,”_

_Hangyul hears someone calling for his name. But his eyes won't open. Someone is holding his hand and he can see lights passing through his eyelids. Around him, he hears beeping sounds. In the air, he smells medications and blood._

_“Please save him, please save him,”_

_He hears someone beside him pleading. Save who?_

_“Hangyul, don't leave me,”_

_He hears a loud ringing in his ears and his head feels full and heavy. He starts to drift to sleep. Suddenly he feels immensely sleepy, like he hasn't slept in days._

_The world becomes quiet._

_The flickering lights disappears._

_He falls into a deep state of slumber._

\----

Hangyul wakes up to a crowd gathering around him. He’s lying on the sidewalk bench. His head hurts but it doesn't hurt as much as it had just a few minutes ago. _Wait, how long has it been?_

“You’re lucky the car managed to stop a few inches from where you fainted, son.” A middle-aged man says to him. “Are you okay?” An auntie asks him looking visibly distressed. Hangyul pulls himself to a sitting position, massaging his temples. 

“What happened?” He asks.

“You fainted in the middle of the zebra crossing. The car wasn't speeding so the auntie managed to stop before it hit him.

“Are you unwell? Let me offer to take you to the hospital,” The auntie offers him clearly showing that she is genuinely concerned. 

“Ah it’s okay. I think I’m fine.” Hangyul says. “It must be because I have been running under the scorching sun and I haven't eaten today,” He smiles, just noticing that he had skipped all his meals today.

“What were you doing running around in summer,” The auntie asks.

“I was searching for someone important…,” and then it hit him. He met Seungyoun just now. “Wait, how long have I been unconscious?” Hangyul immediately asks. 

“About half an hour?” The middle-aged man answers. Hangyul gets up, “I have to go,”

“But--” they barely manage to stop him and he’s already up and running, going back to Seungyoun’s place. He remembers everything now. He doesn't know how he forgot but he remembers everything that happened that day; why Seungyoun is suffering alone, why he chose to stay mute. It all makes perfect sense now.

He has to meet Seungyoun. Seungyoun has been suffering enough. He doesn't want to wait anymore.

He runs as fast as his feet can carry him. His head hurt but he cannot make Seungyoun wait anymore. The night is particularly chilly and every breath he takes feels like inhaling needles down his lungs. The faster he runs, the more painful his lungs feel. 

Just a little bit more and then he’s there. _Run faster, Hangyul._

The bridge connecting two lands between a river is what connects Seungyoun to Hangyul. It’s where they cross to meet each other. Hangyul’s house in on this side of the river while Seungyoun’s is on the other side. 

He remembers everything now, the times they shared, their childhood, watching each other grow up, laughing together, falling for each other. How could he forget all that. The accident left Hangyul with partial amnesia. He finds it absurd that he had forgotten about Seungyoun just like that. His smile, his eyes, his warm fingers, his cheeks, his neck, his voice. 

That’s why Seungyoun feels so familiar. That’s why he feels comfortable with Seungyoun. That’s why Seungyoun reminds him of home. He has known Seungyoun all along. Hangyul’s cheeks are wet with tears. Seungyoun suffered so much. He had hurt someone he loves the most and his heart feels like it’s burning.

He arrives at the bridge and to his surprise, a figure is standing on the wrong side of the railings, facing the hard flow of water below him. _No, no, no_. His heart skips a beat. It’s Seungyoun.

“Seungyoun,” he says, slowly, delicately, as if the sheer soundwave from his voice will push Seungyoun to his death. “Hey, Seungyoun,” he continues. 

Seungyoun turns to face Hangyul, his eyes sullen and empty.

“Please, Seungyoun.” Hangyul holds out his hand to a figure standing in front of him. “It’s chilly down there,” he says, barely above a whisper. “Please don't jump.”

“You don't even remember me Hangyul. What’s the point?” He says, again, sounding sullen and empty. 

“I remember,” Hangyul retorts. “I remember each and every moment, Seungyoun,” Seungyoun looks shocked, his pupils wavering under the moonlight. 

“The accident, the fight, I remember,” Seungyoun’s eyes turn glassy.

“Take my hand,” Hangyul slowly goes closer to Seungyoun, slowly letting Seungyoun intertwining his fingers in Hangyul’s palm. The moment Seungyoun is away from the railing, he embraced Seungyoun as tight as he could, his palms burying into Seungyoun’s hair. 

“I’m so sorry I made you wait,” He says. Seungyoun begins to sob.

“You said you’re never going to leave me,” 

“I’m sorry,”

“When you woke up and you asked me who I was, I felt like I was being punished,” Seungyoun cries harder. “I didn’t know what to do,”

“It’s alright,” Hangyul pats Seungyoun slowly on his back. 

“I said bad things to you,” 

“I know, it’s alright,”

“I was so stupid, Hangyul,” Seungyoun’s sentences come in hitches now.

“When you forgot me, I felt so lonely,” Seungyoun continues. “I shouldn't have said a word that day, Hangyul. I should've just kept my mouth shut. I feel scared whenever I think about that day. If i hadn’t fought with you, you might not have been hit. You might still remember me. We might still be okay, you might be okay. I didn’t know what to do. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry --” 

“Shhhh it’s okay Seungyoun. It’s okay,” Hangyul hugs him tighter. 

“I’m so sorry, Hangyul,” 

“Yes, I know you are,”

“Please don’t leave me,” 

“No, I won’t. I’m here.”

They both stay like that for a while, just holding each other, sharing each other’s warmth. Seungyoun continues to cry into Hangyul’s shoulder. At that moment, all their guilts lift from their shoulders. Their hearts lighten, they both forgave each other without even the need of an apology. Three years ago, seungyoun had saved him from falling off this bridge. And now, it’s time he save Seungyoun from falling off it too.

  
  
  
  


**They were on the rooftop,**

  
  
  
  
  


“Close your eyes and wear this blindfold” Hangyul tells Seungyoun.

“What? No.” Seungyoun answers.

“Ahhhhhh come on, just this once. I have something to show you.” Hangyul whines, much to Seungyoun’s annoyance. 

“Fine.” He takes the blindfold and ties it around his head covering his eyes. “You better not make me step on poop or I’ll cut you shoes to pieces.”

“No no, this is better than stepping on poop,”

“What?” Seungyoun yells. 

“Shhh just follow me,” Hangyul brings him into the elevator up until the topmost floor, brings him up a set of staircase onto the rooftop. Weirdly enough, the rooftop feels a lot cooler than it used to feel, and there’s a particular scent in the air that’s calming, fragrant even, but really calming.

“Okay, take off your blindfold.” Hangyul says in excitement. 

As soon as Seungyoun takes it off, a myriad of colors burst into his eyes. In front of him is a grove of luscious flowers. They are scattered everywhere and they are all fully bloomed. There are roses, surrounded by purple petunias. The pergolas are intertwined with vines of morning glory and the walkways are decorated with bushes of daisies and chamomiles. 

“Wow, Hangyul,” Seungyoun looks at awe. He has never seen so many flowers in front of his eyes. “I’m impressed. This is a beautiful surprise.” 

“I told my mom that we need to make the rooftop prettier,” Hangyul says nonchalantly. 

“And she lets you?” He asks, genuinely curious.

“I mean, we gotta make sure the patients here feel happy, right?”

“So you’re using your privilege as the director’s son to make all this?” Seungyoun smiles as he speaks, absolutely not believing Hangyul did all this just to surprise him.

“Nah, I asked Uncle Dongchan to help me out a bit.” Hangyul says while scratching the back of his head.

Seungyoun chuckles at Hangyul, for going through all the trouble just to do this. 

“Thank you, Hangyul.”

“Get better properly, okay.”

“Yeah, I will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
